VZCZCXRO3316
OO RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHLB #0680/01 1341814
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 131814Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1848
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2277
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2581
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000680 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA 
ALSO FOR A/S SILVERBERG AND PDAS WARLICK 
INL FOR A/S DAVID T. JOHNSON 
USUN FOR KHALILZAD/WOLFF/KUMAR/PHEE 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER/GAVITO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2018 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINR ASEC UNSC EAIR SA IR LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: GENERAL RIFI SAYS ISF IS DOING ITS JOB 
 
REF: A. BEIRUT 641 
     ¶B. BEIRUT 669 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
¶1. (C) Director General of Internal Security Forces (ISF) 
General Ashraf Rifi reported on the tensions throughout 
Lebanon, expressing concern for the fighting in his hometown 
of Tripoli.  He confirmed that the ISF is doing a good job 
fulfilling its duty of community policing and maintaining law 
and order.  He characterized the relationship between the ISF 
and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as "O.K.," commenting on 
the failure of the LAF to prevent Hizballah from taking over 
Beirut.  Although Beirut International Airport is open for 
private planes, he cautioned against its use by the 
Americans.  He said the Rene Mouawad/Kleyate airport in the 
north could be operable for commercial airlines, but that big 
planes would need to cross Syrian airspace when landing.  He 
added that while the Beirut Port is closed for administrative 
reasons, the port in Tripoli can service large ships. 
 
¶2. (C) Rifi said no ISF officers were resigning and 
attributed LAF resignations as symbolic, noting that those 
officers are still reporting to duty.  In appreciation for 
receiving U.S. assistance, Rifi showed the Charge the ISF's 
latest magazine which features the ISF graduating class 
marching in front of the Charge -- an image that angered 
Hizballah.  He also noted that six of the twelve U.S.-funded 
refurbished armored personnel carriers were deployed in 
Beirut, including in front of the Ministry of Interior.  End 
summary. 
 
FRUITS OF U.S. ASSISTANCE 
------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) The Charge, accompanied by A/RSO and PolOff, met with 
Director General of Internal Security Forces (ISF) General 
Rifi at the ISF headquarters on May 12.  He showed the Charge 
the current edition of the ISF's magazine, which featured on 
its cover the graduates of a $60 million INL-funded police 
cadet training program marching in front of the Charge.  This 
picture of ISF officers honoring the Charge received much 
criticism from Hizballah.  Rifi proudly told the Charge that 
he was not hesitating to distribute copies of the magazine. 
 
¶4. (C) The Charge remarked to Rifi that we had passed by 
armored personnel carriers (APCs) in front of the Central 
Bank and the Ministry of Interior.  Rifi reported that six of 
the twelve refurbished APCs funded by the U.S. (INL) are now 
deployed. 
 
FIGHTING IN TRIPOLI 
------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Rifi, who is from Tripoli and has his family there, 
expressed his concern about the fighting.  He said the 
fighting was between the Alawi residents in Jabal Mohsin and 
the Sunni/Future Movement area of Bab al-Tabbaneh.  He noted 
that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) had been deployed in 
northern Tripoli, but that tensions remain. 
 
AND "ORDER" IN BEIRUT; 
CONCERNED SUNNI U.S. 
CITIZENS 
--------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Noting that the ISF, charged with maintaining law and 
order, does not have much involvement with controlling 
Beirut, he assessed that West Beirut is in a "tough" 
situation now.  He alluded to poor Sunni residents in Tariq 
Jdeideh, and noted to the Charge that the Sunni 
Lebanese-Americans living in Shia areas appear the most 
concerned about their safety.  Rifi dismissed reports of 
violence in the Hamra area earlier in the morning, saying it 
was an isolated incident. 
 
¶7. (C) Rifi said the ISF is conducting regular community 
 
BEIRUT 00000680  002 OF 002 
 
 
policing in the Chouf and Aley districts, where there have 
been clashes between the Druze and Hizballah.  He said the 
situation today requires a military mission, not a policing 
mission. 
 
AIRPORT AND PORT 
OPERABILITY 
---------------- 
 
¶8. (C) The road to the Beirut International Airport (BIA) 
remains closed, Rifi reported, though private planes have 
been landing and using local roads.  He cautioned against the 
Americans using BIA, even in emergency cases.  The Rene 
Mouawad/Kleyate airport in the north can be used, he 
suggested, but it would require the bigger planes to fly over 
Syrian airspace when landing.  Nevertheless, he said, the 
airport and runways are in good condition.  The Port is 
closes, Rifi reported, but only because the workers cannot 
get to work.  He said that the Tripoli port is operational 
and capable of servicing large ships. 
 
LAF - ISF RELATIONS 
------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Rifi told the Charge that the working relationship 
between the ISF and LAF is "O.K."  He clarified, "It is not 
acceptable that the LAF had let Hizballah control Beirut." 
He believes that the tendered resignations by Sunni LAF 
officers (Ref A) are a symbolic message to LAF Commander 
General Sleiman, telling him that the LAF has to protect the 
Lebanese citizens.  Rifi does not believe they intend to 
actually resign, noting that they are still reporting to 
work.  He added that there have been no ISF resignations. 
 
THE WAY FORWARD 
--------------- 
 
¶10. (C) Now, we are just hoping for a political consensus, 
Rifi said.  If not, he continued, the situation will become 
worse.  He added that every political faction has been 
preparing for civil war by arming itself, citing the Sunnis 
in the north as an example: "They are preparing and they are 
not afraid of Hizballah."  If Hizballah enters Christian 
areas, Rifi predicted, it will embarrass Free Patriotic 
Movement leader Michel Aoun.  It would be a delicate 
situation, Rifi continued, saying that he could not guess how 
Aoun would react. 
 
¶11. (C) He believed some Christians have been asking Lebanese 
Forces leader Samir Geagea to supply them.  (Note: We saw 
Rifi later in the afternoon at his close friend Saad Hariri's 
residence, and Geagea reported to us that he had also met 
with Rifi on May 12 to request Rifi's assistance in buying 
ammunition from other countries, Ref B.  End note.) 
 
¶12. (C) Rifi expressed his concern that the Palestinian 
refugees could enter the conflict to join their fellow 
Sunnis, nothing that Mrs. Bahia Hariri (former PM Rafiq 
Hariri's sister) has been providing social services to the 
refugees from Ein el Hilwah camp. 
SISON